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Good morning—I got that in just under the wire.

Minister, as you may know, I asked the previous panel about synthetic opioids, which you mentioned in your opening statement—you spoke about the threats that they pose and the increased risk. There was a gentle challenge back from members of the first panel, who said—I am paraphrasing rather than quoting—that there might be too much focus on synthetic opioids, and that people’s lives are being impacted by, and, indeed, people are dying as a result of, the kind of drug use that existed prior to synthetic opioids coming into the picture.

What are the Government and your officials doing to address that threat? What additional measures are you putting in place in relation to synthetic opioids?

Before I continue, I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests: I am a nurse and have a bank nurse contract with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and I recently worked in Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s alcohol and drug recovery service.

You touched briefly on toxicology, and earlier, in a previous answer, someone mentioned delays in toxicology. What work is being done to ensure that we get toxicology results back in a more efficient manner, not only for academic interest but for families?

Thank you, minister. I move to questions.

Minister, you will be aware that stakeholders have concerns about the appointment of Sir Jonathan Montgomery and about the lack of transparency on the expert group’s membership which, I believe, has not been published or publicised. I am keen to hear the Scottish Government’s view on the anonymity of the group’s membership.

Good morning and welcome to the 13th meeting in 2024 of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. I have received no apologies.

The first item on our agenda is to decide whether to take items 5, 7 and 8 in private. Do members agree to do so?

Members indicated agreement.

The second item on our agenda is an evidence session on a legislative consent memorandum for the Victims and Prisoners Bill, which is United Kingdom legislation. I welcome to the committee the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, Jenni Minto. Her supporting officials are Sam Baker and James How from the Scottish Government’s public health capabilities division and Marie Penman, from the Scottish Government’s legal directorate.

A purpose of the Victims and Prisoners Bill is to require the Secretary of State to establish a body to administer a compensation scheme for victims of the infected blood scandal within three months of passing the bill. Due to time constraints in the passage of the bill at Westminster and the subsequent lodging of the LCM at a late stage, the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee is also considering the LCM at its meeting today, so it will not be possible to include its conclusions in our consideration.

I invite the minister to make a brief opening statement.

The next item on our agenda is consideration of an affirmative instrument. The purpose of the instrument is to amend the Registration of Social Workers and Social Service Workers in Care Services (Scotland) Regulations 2013 to reduce the period of time that workers have to apply for registration with the Scottish Social Services Council, with the requirement now being that they do so within three months of starting a new role. The policy note states that the objective is to encourage social workers and social service workers to apply for registration sooner after starting work, which will allow the assessment of an applicant’s fitness to practise at an earlier stage, providing greater public protection.

The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee considered the instrument at its meeting on 19 March 2024 and made no recommendations in relation to the instrument.

We will have an evidence session with the Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise and supporting officials on the instrument. Once we have had all our questions answered, we will proceed to a formal debate on the motion.

I welcome to the committee Natalie Don, Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise; Rona Carson, who is a lawyer from the Scottish Government legal directorate; and Jamie McIntyre, who is team lead for the Scottish Social Services Council sponsorship team in the Scottish Government. I invite the minister to make a brief opening statement.

Given your correspondence and contact with the UK Government regarding group members’ anonymity and the inclusion of a Scottish representative, what is the Scottish Government’s plan, going forward?

As members have no further questions, I thank the minister and her officials for their attendance. I suspend the meeting briefly to allow a change of witnesses.

Minister, I have a question about the three-month deadline. You said in your opening statement that there is concern that registrants are leaving registration until almost the six-month deadline and that that is one of the reasons for the proposed change. What measures have been put in place to ensure that people who are going into new employment from 3 June know that there is a three-month deadline and that they do not wait until two and a half months into their employment before making an application?